How a Flower Wilts
by AngelFire Rei
Summary: A short oneshot about my OC and how her heart is like a wilting flower because of all the things that are happening.


Message from an Angel(from Angelfire Rei): This is a short oneshot story for my OC Rei. Its about how her heart is full of sadness and worry and how a flower can represent that. please for god sake review! i beg of you! without reviews i don't know if it's good or bad or what to work on so please!!!! thanks...bye

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**_How A Flower Wilts_**

Rei sat unmoving in the seat by the window. A vase with one flower sat on the sill of the opened window. As a breeze passed through her hair and brushed gently at her face she looked at the single rose in the vase. The rose she'd picked fresh from a bush along the path to the complex that day was in full bloom, full in red color. Rei looked out up at the sky as faces flashed through her mind.

_Hidan-sama, Kakuzu-sama, Sasori-sama, even you Deidara…_Rei hadn't known Hidan or Kakuzu very well but, Sasori and Deidara had been close to her…when they were alive. The two squads had died only a short while ago; Rei's heart still ached when she thought that she was never again to hear Deidara's scolding, or to see Sasori's puppets work.

"The fool really did go out with a bang, after all." Rei heard Kisame laugh she was to upset to yell at him though. The truth was Deidara only died three days prior. Rei looked up to see Itachi enter her room as well, she felt somewhat relieved.

Both men weren't wearing their cloaks. Kisame's broad shoulders shown through his mesh shirt, as did Itachi's fine tuned body.

"Rei, we have new orders," Itachi started.

"What? Even though we lost four members?" Rei looked into his sharingan eyes.

"Yes, we can't afford to stop now."

"Yea brat, get over it already, people die all the time." Kisame broke in.

Rei held back tears. Itachi noticed how affected she was by Kisame's words and shot his partner a menacing glance.

"But I've decided that you will stay here." Itachi got up and left without another word or letting Rei speak.

She looked at Kisame in shock. "Why would he…?" She couldn't finish the sentence.

Kisame shook his head; he hadn't seen it coming either. "I don't know what to tell ya, kid." He said as he left to.

Rei picked herself up and managed to find her way out the door and down the hall until she was in front of Itachi's room. She turned the doorknob and stepped in side. Itachi was sitting at his small desk and he didn't look up at her when she came in. Rei walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder. Itachi glanced back at her.

"Itachi…please let me go with you." She pleaded.

He looked back at her and held her gaze, unspeaking. Rei decided he wasn't going to speak so she asked again.

"Itachi…please…" She begged.

Finally after several moments of silence he spoke, "You will stay here," before turning back to his desk. Rei dropped to her knees by the side of his chair. There was no winning this fight. She rested her head in Itachi's lap and whispered, "Then just come back to me…promise?"

Itachi looked down at her and ran his hand through her hair. Rei knew that was a 'yes, I'll come back' gesture even if he never said a word. Rei smiled slightly then thought of what she could do.

"Itachi," She spoke softly. "May I have permission to go to Konoha?"

He looked down at her curiously. "I don't want to be here alone." She explained.

He nodded a yes before turning away again. He understood, the old complex they lived in might be a little unsettling if she were left here alone, and also it would be a good idea for her to go, she'd have protection there.

Rei sat on the floor next to the chair with her head in his lap for a long time. They sat silently not a single word passed between the two but Rei just wanted to be close to him, and even though Itachi would never admit it, he wanted her there.

Rei heard Itachi put down the book he had been reading and opened her eyes. She sat up straight lifting her head from his lap; she rubbed at her sleepy eyes.

"Did I fall asleep?" She asked quietly.

"For a while, yes." Itachi answered as he stood up pushing the chair back carefully trying not to bump into Rei. He took the book off the desk and walked over to the shelf and slid it into an open space.

Rei pushed herself up to her feet. Her legs were numb from the way she'd been sitting for so long, but she ignored it and walked over to Itachi.

"Are you hungry?" He asked in his muted tone while scanning the book shelf for another book.

"Not really…do you want me to get something for you?"

"An apple."

She nodded and slipped out of the room and down the hall. She walked into the small kitchen and opened a wooden cabinet. She picked the biggest ripest apple from the bowl on the shelf.

When she came back Itachi had seated himself in the chair again but this time he sat backwards leaning his arms on the back. He looked almost as lazy as Shikamaru Rei thought as she handed him the apple.

He took a bite of the red flesh of the fruit. Rei felt a pain in her heart, she was worried her and Itachi were growing apart. She tried to shake the thought but it was imbedded in the back of her mind. She was so lost in thought she almost didn't hear Itachi speak.

"You should know how Deidara died." He said looking out the window. She had asked about it but he'd said he wasn't going to let her know, she wondered why he decided to tell her."

"But you said…"

Itachi ignored her and went on. "He was in a battle…with, Sasuke." Itachi stopped that was all he needed to say.

"It was Sasuke?" Rei's eyes burned with anger then a ripple of sadness creped through her body. Deidara was gone because of Sasuke! Tears welled up in Rei's eyes.

"I-I'm going to my room." She tried to not sound upset as she left.

She ran down the hall to her room. She closed the door quietly before falling down onto her bed. Tears dropped onto the pillow dotting it. She buried her face into the soft pillow as she let the tears fall. _Deidara…you…idiot…how could Sasuke kill you? _Her mind ran with sad thoughts.

Rei sat up in her bed with her legs to the side she stared blankly at the wall. Deidara was gone and it was Sasuke's doing. She already didn't like Sasuke as it were, now she had another reason. There was no way she would let him take Itachi's life as well as Deidara's.

A gust of wind blew through the window. Rei turned just in time to see one of the petals of the rose fall onto the window's sill. _It's already starting to die?_ Rei cast her gaze downward. _How sad…_

The next morning Rei woke up to Itachi's soft touch. She turned over to see him. He wasn't wearing his cloak or headband and Rei couldn't help smiling at his good looks.

"good-morning," She whispered. He nodded to her making Rei wish he would for once just say 'good-morning Rei' instead.

She turned over the rest of the way so she was facing him. "What is it?"

"You've slept in, it's time you go train." Itachi stood up and walked away with out another word.

Rei felt as though she could scream. _Train? Train? You want me to train? Errrr…Uchiha Itachi…Sometimes I want to just hit you and scream out everything! Train, so soon after Deidara's death? _

As Rei continued her inner rant she got dressed. Truthfully she wasn't all that mad she just needed something to wake her up. Once she stepped out her door and found Itachi leaning head down, eyes closed, against the frame her rant stopped.

"You're still upset?" Itachi asked knowingly in his muted voice.

Her gaze drifted to the floor. "Of course…"

Itachi looked up not at Rei but down the hall as if he were talking to the air. "Then let his death make you stronger, use it to your advantage. You will never again falter in battle with Sasuke if you think of Deidara."

Rei didn't understand at first, did he want her to take revenge on Sasuke. She shook that thought and it came to her what the true meaning was. Before she had let her personal feelings for Sakura stop her from fighting Sasuke, now she would use her feelings for Deidara to give her strength.

Itachi's eyes glanced over hers. "You understand?"

She nodded. She understood but that didn't make the hurt any less painful. She missed Deidara and felt like bashing Sasuke's face in, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to fight at all.

Rei walked past him and out the front door. Instead of training like he told her too she sat against the wall on the other side of the courtyard by her window. Looking up at the sky she thought about every fight she could remember. She remembered the pain of killing someone, the hurt of being cut, the look in the eyes of a person dying person with things left unfinished. These were the memories that she hated.

A soft red petal drifted down in front of Rei's face. Rei watched in fall to the ground only to be picked up by a soft wind and tossed gently in the air.

Shaking herself to rid her mind of the troubled thoughts she thought of Sakura, Neji, and Shikamaru in Konoha, her closest friends and even the others Kiba and Akamaru, Ino, and Hinata. She was happy to know she'd be seeing them soon. Then she realized while she was in Konoha she'd have to stop in and talk to Tsunade. Rei hoped that she'd find the fifth Hokage in a good non-drunken state. Also hoping that she'd be able to spend a lot of time with Shikamaru she looked at the sky and watched the clouds. She knew he'd be somewhere on a grass laden hill with a soft breeze crossing his face staring at the same clouds.

She had lots of dark memories but Rei had more good ones from more resent years to cover up the bad. Not only that she had someone watching over her, her savior, her love, Itachi.

Rei had left Itachi at the border of Rouge Country and Fire Country. On her way to Konoha she stopped in a small town and got something to eat. Finding a seat in a small tea shop she ordered dango and green tea. She took a sip of her tea and glanced about the small room. There were about five other tables two of which had people seated at them.

"Did you hear that there was an attack on some of Konohagakure's shinobi?" One man spoke as quietly as his excitement about the gossip would allow.

"Yea, they say that two of those Akatsuki guys were killed along with one of the Shinobi." Another man chimed in.

_That must have been Hidan-sama and Kakuzu-sama. One of Konoha's shinobi…? Who…_

Rei couldn't help but listen in. She started on her dango as she listened in some more.

"I heard it was a chunin that bit it!" A woman spoke this time.

_A chunin…Shikamaru!? _

"No, that's not right, it was a jonin." The first man stated.

"Yea the chunin is the one that took out the two Akatsuki." The other man nodded.

Rei stood up abruptly and stormed out of the shop leaving the money on the table. She had had enough of the gossip and could hardly believe that two very powerful Akatsuki were taken down by a mere Chunin.

Resuming her journey she walked through the forest path slowly, enjoying the day. Birds chirped and the blue sky shown bright with few clouds. Rei quickened her pace, wanting to make it to Konoha before dark.

When she finally arrived at the front gate of Konoha she was greeted by Genma.

"Hi, Rei-chan…" His sighed.

"Where are Izumo-san and Koketsu-san?" Rei wondered aloud.

"They're on a mission…so I got stuck here…" Genma bit down on the senbon in his mouth.

Rei bowed her head slightly at the irritated man before walking off into the village. She weaved through the small crowds before coming to an empty pathway. It lead to the Uchiha estate, where Sakura lived. Rei's friend made her home in the house farthest away from the gate to the estate.

Rei waked past all the empty houses and felt an eerie chill crawl up her back; she spun around to face Sakura.

"Aww…I didn't get to surprise you…" Sakura pretended to pout.

"Sakura! You scared me half to death!" Rei took the joke and ran with it, pretending to be angry.

Sakura and Rei hugged tightly and walked back to Sakura's house. As Sakura's surprise and happiness at seeing her friend subsided a grim look crept over her. Though she tried to hide it, Rei could tell something was wrong, but she decided to see if Sakura would tell her on her own or not.

Sakura slid down into a chair in the kitchen as Rei dropped her bag and pulled out the chair opposite her friend.

Now getting a better look at the female Uchiha Rei could see that she looked very tired as if she weren't getting any sleep. Her usually bright onyx eyes now were dull and worried.

"Sakura…What's wrong?" Rei finally asked sensing the need to.

"It's nothing really…" Sakura shook her head.

"I know you better than that…" Rei narrowed her eyes. "Now tell me what it is."

Sakura sighed as if she were going to protest again but she gave in. "Its…its Neji…"

"Neji?" Rei listened intensely.

"He's…He's in the hospital and badly wounded…I've been staying up by his side for days now…"

The next thing Rei knew she was at her friend's side hugging her tightly. "He's strong, I'm sure he'll pull through, especially with you watching over him."

Sakura nodded slightly as if she were thinking about what her friend said but it looked as though she hadn't heard.

"I should get some sleep that's why I came home after all…"

Rei nodded, "That'd be best, and I'll go see Neji while your asleep to make sure he's alright for you, ok?" Rei gave a warm smile.

Sakura stood and walked away. Rei heard her heavy footsteps on the stairs then the sound of a door sliding in its track, open then shut. Rei stopped to put her bag in the room she usually stayed in the back of the house before heading for the hospital.

Rei looked down and the battered and broken body of Neji Hyuga. _Oh, Neji…how did this happen… _Rei felt a pang of sadness in the pit of her stomach. She looked at the small table in the room were there was a dying flower, two petals fell from it. Sitting down in a chair that had been pushed right up against the bed, most likely by Sakura, Rei rested her head on the bedside. As she looked at the blackening sky outside her mind slipped into a deep sleep as her heart still cried for her two friends.

Rei's heart welled up with pain when Sakura came into the room late that night and saw her battered lover still unmoving and badly wounded. Rei left quickly unable to do anything but stand there helplessly.

Rei slept on a bench just outside the room for the night. It was a long, rough night for her. Dreams of Neji's fight and him dying, images of Hidan and Kakuzu dying, haunted her sleep.

When she woke up she brushed her hair with a brush Sakura had in a small bag in the hospital room before leaving. On her way out she said goodbye to Ino who was working the front desk. Rei couldn't help noticing she look tired and sad, but Rei didn't have a clue why.

Rei walked through the village until she found her self in a field near one of the training grounds, it was familiar. That was because it was the one with the memorial stone for those that died in battle. Rei continued down the path.

As she went into a more wooded area she saw someone coming for the other end of the pathway, from the memorial stone. The more near she got she recognized Shikamaru, he had a grim look on his face and Rei knew he hadn't been training.

The chunin looked grumpy and had his hands tucked in his pockets. Walking as if baring the weight of the world he looked unsatisfied.

Rei was taken aback at seeing him this way. He looked as if he was pissed at the world and would snap at the very next person to speak to him or anyone else.

Rei walked up to him and it was obvious he hadn't even noticed her yet.

Stopping only five feet or so in front of him she smiled trying to get him out of this terrible mood. "Hi, Shikamaru"

He looked up a little to focus on her. "Uh…Rei!" He went from looking sulky and withdrawn to worried and uncertain.

"Aren't you glad to see me?"

"Er…Um…Yes, of course I'm happy to see you…but…"

Rei tilted her head slightly. "But…?"

Gaze cast down again he spoke, "But I'm not so sure you'll be happy to see me…"

"What? Of course I am…"

"No!" He shot up to look her in the eyes. "We need to talk…"

"Shikamaru…" Rei stepped back, his anger had never been directed at her, she was scared.

"Come with me…" He pulled his hand from his pocket and held it out for her to take.

Hesitantly she put her hand in his and he led the way back up the path.

They walked up the path through the trees. Rei looked at Shikamaru._ What's gotten into you to make you act like this?_ She asked herself as he pulled her along. The trees gave way to a small clearing with a large pointed stone in the center of it all. Names were craved in the stone, names of all the shinobi that were K.I.A. or killed in action.

Shikamaru finally stopped when they stood in front of the stone. His gaze was focused on a name freshly craved. His eyes went from it to Rei and back. Rei bent down to see what was written. She looked closely at the name moving back in shock at what it read.

_Sarutobi, Asuma_

"Sarutobi, Asuma…" Shikamaru looked as if he could cry.

Rei stood and spun around. "Shikamaru…I…I'm so sorry."

"He…he died…" Shikamaru stopped to compose himself. Rei looked at him with worry and pain in her eyes but not nearly enough to match his. "He died fighting with an Akatsuki!" Shikamaru yelled out.

"Nhuhh…" Rei stepped back shocked and frightened. Was Shikamaru angry with her because of her ties with Akatsuki?

He looked up at her anger burning in his eyes, but not at her, he was lost in the memory of his sensei's death. It only took a few seconds for the emotion to turn to sorrow. "I…I took out my team…with Kakashi…and I…I killed the ones that killed him…"

Rei stepped back another pace before falling to her knees horror in her eyes.

"The one that killed him, said his…name…it…was Hidan…"

"Hidan-sama…Kakuzu-sama…" Her words were hushed so only she could hear.

Tears filled her eyes, not for Kakuzu he could rot for all she cared, but for Hidan. He had been kind enough to her ever since she joined Akatsuki.

Shikamaru looked away from her and the stone. "I'm not sorry…" he informed her.

Arms wrapped tightly around him and he turned to see her crying into his shirt.

"Oh Shikamaru…." She looked up at him in one quick motion. "Is that why you thought…?" She couldn't finish her sentence because of the tears but Shikamaru knew what she meant. He nodded.

"You idiot!" She yelled. "How could you think that?"

"Rei…so you're not…angry?"

"No…" She lowered her voice into a soft loving tone. "Of course not…that's what a shinobi life is… if it had been you…that died…I would have killed them myself." She paused. "You're the second most important person to me."

He understood why he was second but it still bit at his hear that she loved Itachi before him. "Let's go…it's getting late…"

As they walked back down the path Shikamaru pulled a cigarette from his pocket. Lit it and stuck it in his mouth. Rei stopped dead as he did so. He turned to face her and was greeted with a slap to the face.

"What are you doing!?" She yelled at him.

Rubbing his cheek he said, "Having a smoke…why'd you hit me?"

She pulled the cigarette from his mouth and stomped it into the dust.

"You better quit…" Rei said sternly.

"I've been trying too."

"Try harder."

Rei stormed off before he could get another word in. Shikamaru followed her feeling relieved and slightly defeated.

Rei didn't see it but a small pink petal fell from a Sakura tree near the stone it was followed by two others both landing softly on the stone.

Rei stared out at the moon from the roof top, it was full tonight. She decided that she wasn't going to go see Tsunade this time since she was leaving in the morning anyway. Shikamaru's steady breathing from beside her was comforting. Her arms wrapped around her knees, she rested her head on them.

Rei felt as though her heart was slowly dying with each bad thing that happened. She'd suffered so many blows this past month or so. Unsure of how much more she could take it overwhelmed her and soft tears fell from her eyes. She dried them on her sleeve. Sliding back into a laying position she closed her eyes. Sleep caught up with her quickly and took her. Shikamaru noticed his companion's unconsciousness and gently took her in his arms. He brought her to her bed and left the Uchiha estate.

Rei had stopped to buy a flower from the Yamanaka's flower shop before leaving the village she wanted to stop at Asuma's grave.

She walked up to the gate of the cemetery it was open and she walked in. She followed the rows until she found his plot. To her surprise Yuuhi Kurenai was there. Soft whimpers were coming from the women crouched down in front of the headstone.

"Kurenai-san…" Rei spoke softly remembering she'd heard that Asuma and Kurenai had been married.

Kurenai turned around and looked up with a tearstained face.

"Rei-chan…it's you…" Kurenai looked at the headstone once more dropping a rose there before standing. "I have to go…" She said quietly in a sad tone.

Rei stepped aside to let her pass. Her eyes followed the woman till she was out of sight. Turning back to the stone she saw there were many flowers on it and on the ground in front of it. All brought on different days. Rei was certain Kurenai had been here everyday since his burial. Kneeling she set the flower with the others. The oldest of the roses left by Kurenai had lost all it's petals; they now lay in a small pile under it. Old and dry some had blown away but there was a good number left.

Rei stood. Looking down she felt her heart cry. _Flowers are like hearts…so fragile…so beautiful…all different…Each petal…each one means something…Life…pain, worry…memories good and bad…death…like this one…_Rei turned and walked away from the cemetery. Her hair blew in the wind and leaves flew down from the trees.

_My heart…the flower of my heart…it may have lost all of it's other petals but…the one most important is still there…that's what counts… _

Rei closed her eyes and smiled as she walked her last word carried on the breeze.

"Love…"

_**The End…**_

_**By AngelFire Rei**_

_**How a Flower wilts….  
**_Message from an Angel: I hope you like it. i love how this turned out so if you didn't o well it's my story not yours...anyway make sure to review.

AngelFire Rei


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